Alex bid farewell to the Weasleys and the others and left Harry in their care. Dobby should come to Harry soon, but with Sirius around, he shouldn't be so presumptuous. Alex leisurely flew back to his villa in London.
The golden light of dawn bathed Alex's villa in London as he finished organizing the treasures retrieved from the Mayan ruins. All kinds of gold relics and intricate carvings piled on his study.
Lily's soft voice echoed in his mind. [What's the plan for these treasures?]
"Well, first I'll use some as decorations around the villa," Alex replied, holding up a beautifully engraved golden disc and imagining it mounted on one of the library walls.
[And then?] Lily asked with a hint of curiosity.
"There's still a month before school starts. I think I'll explore another fantasy world, one with particularly interesting creatures."
The afternoon passed with Alex giving instructions to Edmund, ensuring everything at the villa ran smoothly before preparing for his next journey.
He stepped outside, flying over London, and with a flash of golden light, disappeared from the city.
Moments later, Alex found himself overlooking a vast valley. Fields of flowers stretched out in every direction, and small humanoid creatures scurried through the bright blossoms.
He landed on an open patch of ground, where a massive crystal, glowing with golden energy, had broken through the earth.
[It's rare for the Universal Core to settle in the same dimension where the world it created resides,] Lily observed.
Alex touched the crystal and replied, "I was just thinking of appearing right in front of it. Didn't expect to end up in the physical realm."
[The Core is semi-sentient,] Lily continued. [It has a simple consciousness, like that of a baby.]
The small creatures scurried in a panic, flapping their wings and darting around Alex, but none could approach him. Ignoring their frantic movements, Alex placed his hand on the crystal.
A wave of knowledge rushed into him, detailing the world's formation, the life it supported, and the beings that inhabited it.
In the distance, two humanoid creatures with butterfly-like wings appeared, quickly flying toward a dark figure standing in the valley. The figure was a woman, with horns protruding from her head and large, dark wings stretching out behind her.
"Your Majesty, this is bad, very bad," said one of the humanoids, a fairy in a pink dress.
"A human has broken through the restrictions and approached the Origin Crystal!" said the other, dressed in blue.
The woman's eyes widened in alarm. She took off, her wings cutting through the air as she flew toward the sacred ground.
The Origin Crystal was a place of immense power, a holy site where the energy, sustaining life in this world flowed. It was the source of her strength, and for centuries, it had been guarded fiercely.
No human had ever approached it under her watch, and she was puzzled at how this one had managed to get past the protections.
As Alex was talking to Lily and examining a little humanoid creature with petals like wings, a powerful gust of wind swept through the valley.
The small creatures scattered, their high-pitched chittering filling the air. Alex turned, sensing a presence containing an energy similar to the Core itself.
Descending gracefully from the sky, her massive dark wings casting long shadows over the valley, was Maleficent. She wore a regal yet intimidating expression, her horns gleaming in the sunlight. Her black attire accentuated her commanding aura, and her golden eyes burned with suspicion as they locked onto Alex.
Maleficent landed a few paces away, her gaze flickering between Alex and the crystal. "You dare touch the Origin Crystal, human?" she said, her voice a mix of warning and authority.
Alex straightened, his expression calm but intrigued. "I didn't come to harm it. I came to understand it."
Her eyes narrowed. "Understand? The last time a human claimed such a thing, it led to war. Do you think I've forgotten the treachery of your kind?"
[This is Maleficent,] Lily reminded in Alex's mind. [She's cautious but not unreasonable.]
Alex inclined his head respectfully. "I know who you are, Maleficent. Protector of the Moors, guardian of its creatures, and if I'm correct, the one who united two kingdoms."
Her wings flared slightly, a reflexive display of dominance. "And who are you to know so much?"
"A traveler," Alex replied, his voice steady. "One who has seen many worlds and their origins. This one caught my attention, and I couldn't resist visiting. I mean no harm to your world."
Maleficent studied him, her sharp eyes probing for any sign of deceit. The energy emanating from Alex was familiar, she also sensed no hostility. "A traveler," she repeated, her tone softening slightly.
"And yet you stand before the Origin Crystal as if it belongs to you."
"It belongs to this world," Alex corrected gently. "I'm merely a visitor."
A moment of silence passed, the tension in the air thick but not hostile. Maleficent finally folded her wings behind her, her posture relaxing slightly.
"If you're truly here as a visitor, then you'll understand my caution. The Core is the heart of this world. If anything happens to it, all life here would crumble."
Alex nodded. "I know, in fact, I can help it fully take form."
Maleficent's eyes showed shock, because through the years of guarding she could feel the Core, it conveys feelings to her from time to time.
"Can you really?" she asked after a moment, unconvinced.
Alex smiled. He reached his hand forward, and golden energy flowed from his fingers. It formed the body of a 2-year-old girl with white hair on her head, and her brows as white as snow.
Her skin was smooth and fair, but her golden eyes were lifeless. Glowing antlers like crystals adorned her head, and pure feathery white wings stretched from her back, with a white snowy fabric wrapping her body.
Alex then placed her hand on the crystal while talking to Lily. "Can you communicate with the Core to transfer its consciousness to the body I created?"
[No problem,] Lily responded.
After a while, a golden ball of light flew from the crystal to the baby's body Alex had created.
A golden glow enveloped the child's body, and her golden eyes no longer looked lifeless. They sparkled with brilliance as she hovered in the air, looking down on everyone.
The magical creatures around the world felt her presence and hurriedly knelt down toward her direction.
Maleficent, too, knelt down with tears in her eyes. The little guy just looked at her, and then swooped down into her arms. She hurriedly caught the little one, her face filled with a warmth, and motherly joy.
She looked at Alex gratefully, saying, "Thank you," with a smile.
Alex smiled back at her and reminded, "Her body is special. It is made of pure primordial energy. But it's not invulnerable. If her body is destroyed, her consciousness will return to the Core, like before. Whether she can recover to take a humanoid form again depends on her."
"I understand. I will protect her well," replied Maleficent.
"Why don't you give her a name?" Alex suggested.
She looked at the girl in her hands, the baby girl blinking delicately at her.
After a while, she whispered, "I will name her Eira."
Alex smiled, watching the mother-daughter interaction between the two.